Left, friends prepare for Bush protest

Preparations, albeit of a different kind, are on in the Left camp regarding US President George Bush?s visit.

Preparations, albeit of a different kind, are on in the Left camp regarding US President George Bush’s visit.

The Committee Against BushVisit, comprising the Left Front and other parties, said on Monday massive public rallies would be organised nationwide on March 2 to protest against the visit.

CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan and CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said the protest was mainly against the US occupation of Iraq.

Bardhan said the People's March in Delhi, in which prominent citizens will also participate, would start from the Ramlila Grounds and terminate at Jantar Mantar. In Hyderabad, protests are on March 3. The anti-Bush committee includes the Samajwadi Party, the JD (S), the Indian Justice Party and the CPI (M-L) Liberation. The leaders said Bush was the "topmost official of US imperialism, leading enemy of the sovereignty of nations and the peoples of the world today."

"Under President Bush, the US continues to occupy Iraq and oppress its people. It threatens Syria and has targeted Iran on the issue of its nuclear programme. It backs the naked oppression of the Palestinian people by Israel. It ceaselessly indulges in a covert war against socialist Cuba and Venezuela, besides threatening DPR Korea," the Committee stated.